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The first weekend in August used to be reserved for the AHRA World Finals but this year it was the Summer Nitro Extravaganza. The first real big event since the courts removed Orville Moe from the operations of the track, the fans and racers were looking for something different, and Spokane Raceway Park delivered the goods. Promoter Jim Tice, Jr. put together a mix of nostalgia nitro funny cars and Top Fuel veterans to bring the fans back to the stands. The admission prices were from the 1980’s. It worked. Although attendance was less than expected Friday and Sunday, the Saturday turnout was huge. This was the first big test to see if Spokane Raceway Park can keep drag racing alive in eastern Washington state.
Gary Omlin ran 4.986 at 284.67 mph in what is believed to be the first ever four-second pass on an all-asphalt racing surface. It could have been better but he had to get out of the throttle twice and still managed to take the track record home. Jeff Bennett led Nitro Funny Cars with a 5.618 at 248.44 mph.
Omlin broke a crankshaft in round one and that was the end of his weekend. Mitch King took advantage of that break to make it to the finals. Eastern Washington’s Craig Smith, No. 2 qualifier at 5.355/252.82, took out Don Sosenka and Steve Chrisman to reach the final.